Open Skies Agreements Work

Open Skies Work for the
United States Economy

In 2016, 75.6 million international visitors generated $246 billion in total travel exports.

Gulf carriers brought 1.7 million international visitors to the U.S., in 2016. These visitors spent a total of $7.8 billion.

Open Skies increase travel to the U.S. among the rising middle classes of emerging economies such as India and others.

Open Skies encourages new direct flights to cities across the U.S. such as Dallas, Las Vegas, Memphis, Minneapolis, Orlando, Portland and Salt Lake City, benefiting local economies from additional international visitors.

Each overseas traveler spends approximately $4,360 when they visit the U.S., and stays an average of 18 nights.

The United States welcomed a record 1.13 million visitors from India in 2015, spending an average of $5,600 each.

In 2016, the tourist spending of visitors arriving by way of these Gulf carriers for all or part of their journey, directly and indirectly supported 114,000 jobs and generated $2.3 billion in taxes.

Increased competition puts pressure on all providers of a product or service to improve customer service and the customer experience.

With new direct international air connections in cities such as Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Orlando, Portland and Salt Lake City, traveling abroad is more accessible for Americans.

With legacy airlines offering few flight options to India, Open Skies have allowed other airlines to meet this demand.

Open Skies Work for the
U.S. Airline Industry

Multiple American passenger and cargo airlines support Open Skies agreements with UAE and Qatar. These airlines have been able to benefit from the increase in demand for connecting flights under Open Skies and employ approximately 430,000 workers.

Atlas AirWorldWide, FedEx, Hawaiian Airlines, and JetBlue all support Open Skies agreements with UAE and Qatar.

Even the legacy carriers have benefitted from Open Skies agreements. American, Delta, and United Airlines now control more than 80 percent of all transatlantic routes.

Gulf carriers deliver 620,000 travelers and $140 million in revenue directly to the U.S. carriers.

Approximately 30 percent of all Gulf carrier passengers to the U.S. are directly handed off to U.S. airlines upon their arrival in the U.S. to complete their journey.

Around 16 percent of all Gulf carrier passengers to the U.S. are handed off to the three U.S. legacy carriers themselves – a total of 350,000 passengers per year.

Open Skies works by addition, not subtraction. All carriers and their passengers should reap the proven benefits of these agreements — new entrants to market, both American and international, as well as the legacy carriers.

Cities such as Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Memphis, Minneapolis, Orlando, Portland, and Salt Lake City had very few or no direct international air connections before Open Skies.

Open Skies by the Numbers

122 Open Skies agreements with other nations.

75.6 million international visitors generated $246 billion in total travel exports.

$99.6 billion in total travel exports added to our economy compared to 2009.

1.7 million international visitors via Gulf carriers.

$7.8 billion spent in 2016 by visitors arriving in the U.S. via Gulf carriers.

32 percent lower fares on routes subject to Open Skies agreements.

$4 billion in annual passenger savings.

$4,360 spent, on average, by each overseas visitor.

$4,600 spent, on average, by each overseas visitor via Gulf carriers.

114,000 jobs directly and indirectly supported by the spending of international tourists arriving on Gulf carriers.

$4.1 billion in labor income supported by the spending of international tourists arriving on Gulf carriers.

$2.3 billion in taxes generated by the spending of international tourists arriving via Gulf carriers.